Improvement in corset-steels



' NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YGEORGE W. MCGILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORSET-STEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,595, dated February9, 1875; application liled December 2, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MCGILL, of the city and county vof NewYork, in the State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedCorset-Steel or Busk; and I do hereby declare the following to be a fulland exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, making part of this specilication, and to the figures andletters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to lessen the liability of corset-steelsto break while in use, and to remove the discomt'orting rigidity oftheir centers, which prevents the free movement of the body of thewearer.

The part of a corset-steel or busk which receives the most strain whilein use is its cen ter, and this strain is caused by the sitting orstooping of the woman wearing the corset, for in both these positionsthe swell of her bust and abdomen is increased, which bows the steel inher corset, and thereby throws the entire strain upon its center, and itis at this point that the steel breaks.

In the steels now in use the center, which is thus subjected to theentire strain, possesses no more flexibility than that portion of thesteel which is subjected to no strain at all; and in some other steelsthe rigidity of the center is doubled by riveting to them an extra pieceof steel at that point, under the false supposition that it is rigidityin the center that is required instead of flexibility.

My invention consists in making the centralportion of the length of thesteel more iiexible than the rest of it, and thus neutralize theincreased strain to which that portion of it is subjected. This centralflexibility can be given the busk in many different ways. The mode whichI have selected as preferable to all others is, to provide the steel inits center with a number of creases or corrugations running across it,as shown in the figures. These corrugations may be all of the samedimensions, as shown in Figures l and 2, or they may be deep and narrowin the center of the steel, and diminish in depth and increase in widthtoward its ends, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.. They may be rolled in thesteel in sections, as shown in Fig'. 2, or for nearly the entire lengthof the steel, as shown in Fig. 3. Either way will answer my purpose,although I give preference to that form shown in Fig. 1.

By means of these corrugations the strain on the center of the steelcaused by the bending or bowing of the saine while the wearer isstooping or sitting is removed from one point or focus, and is dividedand distributed over the entire corrugations, each corrugation forming aseparate focus, and receiving a nearly equal amount of the strain. Bythis division of the strain the principal cause of the breakage ofsteels at this point is removed, as is its discomfortin g rigidity,which prevents the free movement of the body of the wearer.

rIhe corrugations or creases may be either rolled or stamped in thesteel; but I prefer rolling them in it, as producing a better article.

The hooks and eyes may be attached to the steels by riveting them to theblank portions of the same, as shown in Figs. l and 2, or they can beattached without rivets by providing them with arms that will turn overthe steel and lie in the corrugations; consequently I do not confinemyself to any particular Inode of attaching them.

The steels may be nickel-plated, japanned, or covered with skin, linen,or other suitable material, and used singly, or doubled one upon theother and suitably connected.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A corset-steel or busk corrugated or creased transversely, as hereinshown and described, for the purposes specified.

GEORGE W. MGGILL.

Witnesses:

P. M. MoGILL, JOHN W. MCGILL.

